03/01/2026
Dear Del-Mar-Va Scouting Family,
Like me, you may have seen articles and videos over the past day or so claiming significant programmatic changes will be made because of a new agreement between the National Council of Scouting America and the US Government, bringing Scouting America into compliance with Executive Order 14173. As one would expect with news of this nature, there are many sources reporting on these events, which may result in conflicting or different information.
Today Roger Krone, National Chief, provided me full disclosure on the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Scouting America will continue, and always will, to welcome and serve all youth, in every family, in every community. That commitment is unwavering.
As of this writing, the only change to our program is the discontinuation of the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. More information on this change can be found here. Any Scout who has started working on Citizenship in Society MB has until December 31, 2026 to complete it. While this change complies with the Executive Order, the lessons found in this merit badge will continue to be found throughout the Scouting program. Scouting has always taught respect for others, leadership, and consideration of diverse perspectives through the ideals enshrined in the Scout Oath and Law. Scouting America’s mission remains unchanged and is reinforced across our advancement, leadership development, and outdoor experiences. Also unchanged are Scouting America’s existing practices and standards for membership registration and safeguarding youth.
Even with this change, Scouting remains true to the core commitments that define our organization—our name, our mission, and our promise to serve all youth in our programs. Those commitments are unchanged.
The Del-Mar-Va Council remains firm in its belief that the future of our great nation, and the world, rests in large part on leaders who live their lives guided by the principals of Scouting, including the Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. Scouting plays a key role in developing just such leaders and, therefore, the Del-Mar-Va Council remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that its Scouting programs will remain open and welcoming to every youth who wishes to participate, providing assistance to those who need it. The Del-Mar-Va Council also remains deeply committed to ensuring that its leadership, at all levels, continues to grow to be reflective of the diverse communities it serves.
As always, please reach out if you have questions or concerns that I can help resolve.
Thank you for all that you do to help support and develop our young people!
Sincerely,
Ray Teat, Scout Executive/CEO
